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The character of Shylock in the Merchant of Venice
Character analysis of shylock in merchant of venice
The character of Shylock in the Merchant of Venice
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Prejudice in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
The main theme of the Merchant of Venice is of Shylock, a Jew, and
Antonio, a Christian taking part in a deal involving the Jew lending
the Christian a sum of money. The bond they make is that if Antonio
cannot pay Shylock back, Shylock can take legally a pound of Antonio's
flesh as payment. The other plots in the play consist of Jessica,
Shylock's daughter eloping with Lorenzo, another Christian and
Antonio's friend Bassanio, who is courting a rich lady, Portia of
Beaumont who are both of course Christian. Shylock and Tubal, his
Jewish associate, both receive verbal abuse from the Christian groups
e.g.
Solanio: 'The villain Jew with outcries raised the duke, who sent him
to search Bassanio's ship'
and:
Solanio: 'I never heard a passion so confused, so strange, outrageous,
and so variable, as a dog Jew did utter in the streets'
The Christians such as Solanio and Salerio never refer to Shylock by
his name. They call him Jew as if his name did not matter i.e. as if
he is not worthy of a name, and when referring to him, it is always
with contempt. I think this puts the writer across as prejudice
against non-Christian people and their beliefs. On the other hand,
this story could also put across the point that Shakespeare ridicules
prejudice and discrimination because some phrases in the play where
Christians are prejudice seem to be emphasised ridiculously.
Another point of racial prejudice is conveyed in the sub plot of
Portia's courtship. Left riches by her late father, she is obliged to
obey his will that suitors may come to her mansion and court her, but
...
... middle of paper ...
...ylock will be
prosecuted.
Shylock breaks down at the news. He is forced by the Christians to
bless Jessica in her marriage to Lorenzo and, as if he had not
suffered enough punishment, he is ultimately disgraced, by being
forced to give up his religion and become a Christian.
In my opinion, the play is prejudice and immoral. However, I also
think there is a hidden meaning, the Christians are even more
contemptible than Shylock. They are displayed throughout the play as
being selfish and disrespectful towards Shylock. The play seems to
mean different things to different people. Shakespeare could well be
ridiculing the Jewish religion, but he could be mocking Christians
also. Alternatively, it could be Shakespeare's intention not to mock
either religion. I think the answer remains ultimately with the
audience.
Some propagandists use name-calling as a way to condemn and reject other races, religions, nations, political parties, or candidates that are running for some position in a political party. To do this, all the propagandist has to do is apply a bad name to the candidate, race, religion, nation, or political party. People, being as gullible as they are, will most likely take the name at face value, and completely trust the propagandist. People will react almost automatically to the bad name, almost as if they have been taught as small children to never trust that race, religion, nation, political party, or candidate ("Propaganda - Good and Bad - for Democracy" para. 5).
Moor; A simple word, in current English it brings to mind an image of ships or sailboats docked in the harbor. For this reason I was slightly confused why it would be assigned to a person, seemingly as a rank or title. However, the Oxford English Dictionary defines moor as “[A] native or inhabitant of ancient Mauretania, a region of North Africa corresponding to parts of present-day Morocco and Algeria” (OED). Knowing the true definition of this term brings forth a whole new angle under which to view this work by Shakespeare.
could call another human being by a term and not by a name is not only
A talented poet and playwright writer, William Shakespeare came during the golden age of England. His writings are the greatest in the English language. No one really know Shakespeare real birthday. The closet date the scholars can come up is on his baptism on April 24th, 1564. It has been over 400 years since his death; Shakespeare’s writing is not just limited to English scholars, but also appears on modern historical events and newspaper as well. Playwright and poetry are an art that appeals to the conscious mind, but the best classical playwright such as Othello not only appeals to conscious mind, but also to the subconscious mind. “The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice,” written by William Shakespeare from the sixteenth century is a tragic love play, and it is an excellent example of “Renaissance humanism,” said Paul A. Jorgensen, author of the Twayne Publishers, ( Jorgensen, 1, 3).
point of view. I don't think we are given a name for him, all we know
For many years, people have been keen in associating Shakespearean plays with racial prejudices, perhaps to determine whether Shakespeare was a racist or not. Shakespeare’s use of characters of color, for instance, has raised controversies and even curiosity on what role does race contributes in his plays. It should be noted that racism or the belief that one’s race is superior to another is already observed in 16th century Europe. It was during this time when Europeans become increasingly engaged with people of different racial origins, especially with the dark skinned people of the East. The crusades, for instance, have greatly contributed to the interaction of Europeans with the Oriental people of Asia Minor and Northern Africa. These
It is often nice to encounter a piece of prose that challenges our minds to search for deeper underlying truths then finish the text with a sense of accomplishment at having been able to detect these truths with little effort. However, when the creator of the work is under pressure to cater to their society's standards, it becomes more difficult to determine which of the ideas presented are truly accurate and are still currently relevant in our own society. A very common example is when we analyze works by William Shakespeare in high school or in college, or sometimes even just in one's leisure time. In Shakespeare's time, society valued colonialist ideas, which comes through in his work The Tempest when we analyze the roles he assigns for
Shakespeare, provides a brilliant example of 'seeing the other' in his play The Merchant of Venice. Through the course of the play, Antonio's actions indirectly tell of his homoerotic love for Bassanio, and also creates a sense of question of the line between loving friends or lovers. Antonio helps Bassanio win Portia's love, through provisions of money, advise, and offering his life up, ironically meeting the inscription on the lead casket that must be chosen to win her hand: “Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath”(2.7.19-20). The Merchant of Venice's other is Antonio, who “loves the world only for [Bassanio]”(2.8.52).
Discrimination is a resounding theme in The Merchant of Venice (Meyers). All of the characters are affected by inequality. This inequity is evidenced clearly in Shylock, the Jewish usurer. He is treated with scorn and derision by all the characters. Shylock’s misfortunes stem not from poor attributes or even a poor background; it stems from the fact he is Jewish, and what is more, he is impenitent of that distinction. If he had been more daunted by Christian influence, he might have been forgiven, as Jessica is subjectively exonerated. He is not contrite and it is believed that his appalling birth cannot be absolved (Bonnell).
Everyone who reads The Merchant of Venice must bear in mind that it is, like any other literary work, a creation of a skillful writer, rising a case that can be a subject for many interpretations and not necessarily revealing a specific view of its writer, however it aims to convey a certain moral to the readers. Therefore, the character of shylock, being stereotyped or not, with its controversy is a tool manipulated to convey a moral message: when people live in a society that is open to cultural diversity and that values the contributions of all society members – regardless of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, race, life styles, and beliefs – they will be one step closer to living in a civil society. Works Cited 1) Encyclopaedia Britannica, the definition of "Anti-Semitism". 2) E. E. Stoll, Shylock (an essay in Shakespeare Studies, 1927). 3) John Palmer, Comic Characters of Shakespeare, Shylock. 4) John Palmer, Comic Characters of Shakespeare, Shylock.
During the sixteenth-century there was a very prominent existence of anti-semitism. The English audience had a very clear prejudice towards the Jewish people because of the deep-rooted concept of anti-semitism. This mindset carried from everyday life to plays and productions of the time. This ill will towards the Jewish people spawned from political and religious disputes that were unresolved. The portrayal of Shylock as a villainous Jew is a logical move for the sixteenth-century playwrights because of this common belief. When walking into a production of The Merchant of Venice during this ear, one must keep in mind the predisposition towards the Jewish people as well as the cultural beliefs at that time.
Othello’s race and ethnicity are never explicitly revealed in Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, so they have become the topic of great speculation. Othello’s race and ethnicity are still heavily debated amongst Shakespeareans today; although it may appear obvious to some controversy arises when it comes to defining the term Moor which is used to describe Othello’s ethnicity. Some believe that Othello’s race is simply black, or African, as described in the play, others believe he may have been a Spanish Moor, or Arab. The term Moor was also “sometimes used in Elizabethan drama to refer to characters who [were] [villains] … or merely brunette in complexion” (Butcher).
did for her. Before Shylock leaves the house in act 2 scene 5 he tells
is the one person that people love to hate. The best example of this I
Shylock is still looking for them and is very mad when he finds out that she has